17 Aug 2023
Applying to start an apprenticeship can be a significant step on the career ladder. Whether you are a school leaver looking to develop your skills and gain experience or an older employee looking for a career change or advancement within your current career, there is an apprenticeship that is custom-designed to suit you.
Earning as you learn is a great advantage, and the experience you gain can catapult you far beyond where you would have been by following a more traditional educational route or by trying to get a foot in the door at entry level in the company.
It is even possible to use the apprenticeship route to gain a degree-level qualification while not having to fork over thousands of pounds yearly in tuition fees. It takes longer to complete degree-level apprenticeships, but they are the educational equivalent of an undergraduate degree qualification, and you won't have to pay through the nose for it. In fact, you will have been earning money while working toward it.
Ensure You Have Your Documents Ready
Before proceeding to apply for an apprenticeship, you should make sure that you fit the qualifying criteria. After that, you should take the time to brush up on your CV and cover letter writing skills, as these will be necessary to apply. Applying for an apprenticeship is essentially very similar to applying for a job. They are looking to be impressed by you and to know that you will be able to take the job role seriously and do well with it.
Decide What You’re Looking For
If you don’t know what you are looking for, it can be very difficult to find it. Try to make sure you have an idea of what kind of apprenticeship you would like to do before you start looking, or you may end up settling for one that isn’t really the area you wanted. It is important to be sure that an apprenticeship is right for you before making the commitment to start it because it is a big investment by the company, and ending an apprenticeship once it has started can be difficult, though not impossible.
Browse Online Jobs Boards
When you know what you are looking for and where in the country you would like it to be located, you should start looking at specialist online jobs boards so that you can sniff out the best opportunities. Try to stick to the criteria that you settled upon previously as much as possible, and have some patience if your ideal apprenticeship isn’t available immediately. It is worth waiting a few more weeks for the one that you really want rather than settling for one that isn’t such a good fit.
It is essential to try to be realistic, though, there are very few journalism apprenticeships at the BBC, for example, and there will be really tight competition for each of those places. It isn’t the end of the world if you don’t get your first choice, as there are always more opportunities.
